If you hate how your laptop case, MP3 player, or other device with a glossy surface is constantly covered in smudges, use a scour pad to buff it to a nice matte—and smudge resistant—finish.

Last year I purchased an Asus Eee netbook. I love the netbook, hated the glossy finish. In theory a piano black gloss finish looks great—and on my Samsung HDTV it does look beautiful. The reality for hand held devices, however, is that you don't see the beautiful gloss you just see the dozens of smudges and fingerprints that accumulate.

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I don't know about you but I hate the look and I've got better things to do than baby my laptop with a microfiber cloth. After all this time disliking the gloss, a conversation with Lifehacker reader telepheedian prompted me to do something about it.

All you need to de-gloss your case is ultra-fine 000# grade steel wool or a scour pad like the green 3M Scotch Brite pads. I tried both on the case of my netbook. While they performed equally as well for removing the finish the scour pad was easier to press completely flat to the surface.

Take the dry scour pad and work it in wide circles over the glossy part of the case to create a swirling brushed-steel effect. The case will start to look like it has been dusted with white powder as you abrade the surface. After a minute of light buffing use a very slightly damp paper towel to wipe the dust away. The case will look temporarily glossy again but will dry in a matter of moments to reveal the matte finish. I repeated the process three times using varying circle sizes to create a a uniform look.

When you're done the case will look like the photo above. Light diffuses nicely on the surface instead of glaring off the case and fingerprints are barely visible instead of standing out like ugly smears.

Have a simple fix for an annoyance around your home or office? Let's hear about it in the comments.